REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Exhibit 10.4
This Registration Rights Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of July 6, 2022, between Arch Therapeutics, Inc., a Nevada Corporation (the “Company”), and each of the several purchasers signatory hereto (each such purchaser, a “Purchaser” or “Holder” and, collectively, the “Purchasers”).
This Agreement is made pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of July 6, 2022 between the Company and each Purchaser (the “Purchase Agreement”).
In consideration of the premises, the mutual provisions of this Agreement, and other good and valuable consideration the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, Company and Purchaser agree as follows:
“Advice” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(d).
“Business Day” means any day except Saturday, Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or any day on which banking institutions in the State of New of are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.
“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Conversion Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Notes.
“Effectiveness Deadline” means, with respect to the Initial Registration Statement required to be filed hereunder, the 90th calendar day following the date hereof and with respect to any additional Registration Statements which may be required pursuant to Section 2(c), the 60th calendar day following the date on which an additional Registration Statement is required to be filed hereunder; provided, however, that in the event the Company is notified by the Commission that one or more of the above Registration Statements will not be reviewed or is no longer subject to further review and comments, the Effectiveness Deadline as to such Registration Statement shall be the fifth Trading Day following the date on which the Company is so notified if such date precedes the dates otherwise required above, provided, further, if such Effectiveness Deadline falls on a day that is not a Trading Day, then the Effectiveness Deadline shall be the next succeeding Trading Day.
“Effectiveness Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
“Event” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(d).
“Event Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(d).
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Filing Deadline” means: (i) with respect to the Initial Registration Statement, the date that is 45 days following the date hereof, and (ii) with respect to any additional Registration Statements which may be required pursuant to Section 2(c), the earliest practical date on which the Company is permitted by SEC Guidance to file such additional Registration Statement related to the Registrable Securities.
“Holder” or “Holders” means the holder or holders, as the case may be, from time to time of Registrable Securities.
“Indemnified Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(c).
“Indemnifying Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(c).
“Inducement Shares” shall have the same meaning set forth in the Purchase Agreement.
“Initial Registration Statement” means the initial Registration Statement in connection with the Liquidity Event filed pursuant to Section 2(a) of this Agreement.
“Liquidity Event” means a public offering of Common Stock (or units consisting of Common Stock and warrants to purchase Common Stock).
“Losses” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a).
“Note(s)” shall have the same meaning set forth in the Purchase Agreement.
“Prospectus” means the prospectus included in a Registration Statement (including, without limitation, a prospectus that includes any information previously omitted from a prospectus filed as part of an effective registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act), as amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms of the offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement, and all other amendments and supplements to the Prospectus, including post-effective amendments, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such Prospectus.
“Registrable Securities” means, as of any date of determination: (a) all of the Conversion Shares then issued and issuable upon conversion in full of the Notes; (b) all of the Warrant Shares then issued and issuable upon exercise in full of the Warrants; (c) all of the Inducement Shares and (d) any securities issued or then issuable upon any antidilution provisions, stock split, dividend or other distribution, recapitalization or similar event with respect to the foregoing; provided, however, that any such securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities (and the Company shall not be required to maintain the effectiveness of any, or file another, Registration Statement hereunder with respect thereto) for so long as: (i) a Registration Statement with respect to the sale of such Registrable Securities is declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act and such Registrable Securities have been disposed of by the Holder in accordance with such effective Registration Statement, (ii) such Registrable Securities have been sold in accordance with Rule 144 and the Company has delivered certificates representing such securities that no longer bear a legend and/or for which the Transfer Agent has not instituted a stop order restricting further transfer, or (iii) such securities become eligible for resale without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions and without current public information pursuant to Rule 144 as set forth in a written opinion letter to such effect, addressed, delivered and acceptable to the Transfer Agent and the affected Holders (assuming that such securities and any securities issuable upon exercise or conversion of which, or as a dividend upon which, such securities were issued or are issuable, were at no time held by any Affiliate of the Company, as reasonably determined by the Company, upon the advice of counsel to the Company).
“Registration Statement” means any registration statement required to be filed hereunder pursuant to Section 2(a) or Section 3 and any additional registration statements contemplated by Section 2(c), including (in each case) the Prospectus, amendments and supplements to any such registration statement or Prospectus, including pre- and post-effective amendments, all exhibits thereto, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in any such registration statement.
“Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission under the 1933 Act, as such rule may be amended from time to time, or any other similar or successor rule or regulation of the Commission that may at any time permit the Holders to sell securities of the Company to the public without registration.
“Rule 415” means Rule 415 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission providing for offering securities on a continuous or delayed basis.
“Rule 424” means Rule 424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.
“Selling Stockholder Questionnaire” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(a).
“SEC Guidance” means: (i) any publicly-available written or oral guidance of the Commission staff, or any comments, requirements or requests of the Commission staff; and (ii) the Securities Act.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Trading Day” means a day on which the principal national securities exchanges on which the Registrable Securities is listed or admitted to trading, are open for the transaction of business or, if the Registrable Securities are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day.
“Warrant(s)” shall have the same meaning set forth in the Purchase Agreement
“Warrant Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants.
Section 2. Required Registration.
(a) The Company shall prepare and, as soon as practicable, but in no event later than the Filing Deadline, file with the Commission a Registration Statement covering the resale of all of the Registrable Securities (the “Initial Registration Statement”); provided that the Initial Registration Statement shall register for resale at least the number of shares of Common Stock equal to 100% of the sum of the maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Notes or exercise of the Warrants at the initial conversion price thereof (the “Initial Required Registration Amount”); provided that should any event following the date hereof result in the maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Notes or exercise of the Warrants being increased because of the application of any provisions thereof, the Company shall promptly file an amendment to the Initial Registration Statement providing for registration of such additional shares. The Registration Statement filed hereunder shall be on Form S-1 in connection with the Liquidity Event. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Company shall cause each Registration Statement required to be filed under this Agreement to be declared effective under the Securities Act as promptly as possible after the filing thereof, but in any event no later than the applicable Effectiveness Deadline, and shall keep such Registration Statements continuously effective under the Securities Act until the earlier of: (i) the date that all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement no longer constitute Registrable Securities, or (ii) the two year anniversary of the date of this Agreement (the “Effectiveness Period”). The Company shall telephonically request effectiveness of a Registration Statement as of 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on a Trading Day. The Company shall promptly notify the Holders via facsimile or by e-mail of the effectiveness of a Registration Statement on the same Trading Day that the Company telephonically confirms effectiveness with the Commission, which shall be the date requested for effectiveness of such Registration Statement. The Company shall, by 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time on the Trading Day after the effective date of such Registration Statement, file a final Prospectus with the Commission as required by Rule 424. Failure to so notify the Holders within one (1) Trading Day of such notification of effectiveness or failure to file a final Prospectus as foresaid shall be deemed an Event under Section 2(d).
(b) Notwithstanding the registration obligations set forth in Section 2(a), if the Commission informs the Company that all of the Registrable Securities cannot, as a result of the application of Rule 415, be registered for resale as a secondary offering on a single registration statement, the Company agrees to promptly inform each of the Holders thereof and use its reasonable best efforts to file amendments to the Initial Registration Statement as required by the Commission, covering the maximum number of Registrable Securities permitted to be registered by the Commission, on such form available to register for resale the Registrable Securities as a secondary offering, subject to the provisions of Section 2(e); with respect to filing on such appropriate form; provided, however, that prior to filing such amendment, the Company shall be obligated to use diligent efforts to advocate with the Commission for the registration of all of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the SEC Guidance, including without limitation, Compliance and Disclosure Interpretation 612.09 of the Commission. Notwithstanding the obligations of the Company under this Section 2(b), the provisions of Section 2(d) shall apply with respect to the payment of the Liquidated Damages.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if the Commission or any SEC Guidance sets forth a limitation on the number of Registrable Securities permitted to be registered on a particular Registration Statement as a secondary offering (and notwithstanding that the Company used diligent efforts to advocate with the Commission for the registration of all or a greater portion of Registrable Securities), unless otherwise: (i) directed in writing by a Holder as to its Registrable Securities, or (ii) directed by the Commission as to the limitations or restrictions that it would require, the number of Registrable Securities to be registered on such Registration Statement will be reduced as follows:
a. First, the Company shall reduce or eliminate any securities to be included by any Person other than a Holder;
b. Second, the Company shall reduce or eliminate Registrable Securities contemplated by clause (d) of the definition of Registrable Securities (applied, in the case that only some such Registrable Securities may be registered, to the Holders on a pro rata basis based on the total number of such unregistered Registrable Securities held by such Holders);
c. Third, the Company shall reduce or eliminate Registrable Securities represented by Warrant Shares (applied, in the case that some Warrant Shares may be registered, to the Holders on a pro-rata basis based on the total number of unregistered Warrant Shares held by such Holders)
d. Fourth, the Company shall reduce Registrable Securities represented by Inducement Shares (applied, in the case that some Inducement Shares may be registered, to the Holders on a pro-rata basis based on the total number of unregistered Inducement Shares held by such Holders); and
e. Fifth, the Company shall reduce Registrable Securities represented by Conversion Shares (applied, in the case that some Conversion Shares may be registered, to the Holders on a pro-rata basis based on the total number of unregistered Conversion Shares held by such Holders); and
In the event of a cutback hereunder, the Company shall give the Holder at least five (5) Trading Days prior written notice along with the calculations as to such Holder’s allotment. In the event the Company amends the Initial Registration Statement in accordance with the foregoing, or determines to file an additional Registration Statement, the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to file with the Commission, as promptly as allowed by Commission or SEC Guidance provided to the Company or to registrants of securities in general, one or more Registration Statements on such other form available to register for resale those Registrable Securities that were not registered for resale on the Initial Registration Statement, as amended, as a result of any cutback of Registrable Securities of the Holders or any Registrable Securities not included in the Initial Registration Statement. In any additional Registration Statement filed because of a cutback in the number of Registrable Securities included in the Initial Registration Statement, all holders of shares of Common Stock included in such additional Registration Statement shall be subject to any additional cutbacks that may be required by the Commission on a pro rata basis.
(a) Not less than five (5) Trading Days prior to the filing of each Registration Statement and not less than two (2) Trading Days prior to the filing of any related Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to include any document that would be incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference, the Company shall: (i) furnish to each Holder copies of all such documents proposed to be filed, which documents (other than those incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference) will be subject to the review of such Holders, and (ii) cause its officers and directors, counsel and independent registered public accountants to respond to such inquiries as shall be necessary, in the reasonable opinion of respective counsel to each Holder, to conduct a reasonable investigation within the meaning of the Securities Act. Notwithstanding the above, the Company shall not be obligated to provide the Holders advance copies of any universal shelf registration statement registering securities in addition to those required hereunder, or any Prospectus prepared thereto.
(b) (i) Prepare and file with the Commission such amendments, including post-effective amendments, to a Registration Statement and the Prospectus used in connection therewith as may be necessary to keep a Registration Statement continuously effective as to the applicable Registrable Securities for the Effectiveness Period and prepare and file with the Commission such additional Registration Statements in order to register for resale under the Securities Act all of the Registrable Securities, (ii) cause the related Prospectus to be amended or supplemented by any required Prospectus supplement (subject to the terms of this Agreement), and, as so supplemented or amended, to be filed pursuant to Rule 424, (iii) respond as promptly as reasonably possible to any comments received from the Commission with respect to a Registration Statement or any amendment thereto, and (iv) comply in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act with respect to the disposition of all Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement during the applicable period in accordance (subject to the terms of this Agreement) with the intended methods of disposition by the Holders thereof set forth in such Registration Statement as so amended or in such Prospectus as so supplemented.
(c) If during the Effectiveness Period, the number of Registrable Securities at any time exceeds 105% of the number of shares of Common Stock then registered in a Registration Statement, then the Company shall file as soon as reasonably practicable, but in any case, prior to the applicable Filing Deadline, an additional Registration Statement covering the resale by the Holders of not less than the number of such Registrable Securities.
(d) Notify the Holders of Registrable Securities to be sold (which notice shall, pursuant to clauses (iii) through (vi) hereof, be accompanied by an instruction to suspend the use of the Prospectus until the requisite changes have been made) as promptly as reasonably possible: (i) (A) when a Prospectus or any Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment to a Registration Statement has been filed; (B) when the Commission notifies the Company whether there will be a “review” of such Registration Statement; and (C) with respect to a Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment, when the same has become effective, (ii) of any request by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority for amendments or supplements to a Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information, in each case, after the such Registration Statement has been declared effective, (iii) of the issuance by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement covering any or all of the Registrable Securities or the initiation of any Proceedings for that purpose, (iv) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, or the initiation or threatening of any Proceeding for such purpose, (v) of the occurrence of any event or passage of time that makes the financial statements included in a Registration Statement ineligible for inclusion therein or any statement made in a Registration Statement or Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that requires any revisions to a Registration Statement, Prospectus or other documents so that, in the case of a Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and (vi) of the occurrence or existence of any pending corporate development with respect to the Company that the Company believes may be material and that, in the determination of the Company, makes it not in the best interest of the Company to allow continued availability of a Registration Statement or Prospectus, provided, however, in no event shall any such notice contain any information which would constitute material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(e) Use its reasonable best efforts to avoid the issuance of, or, if issued, obtain the withdrawal of (i) any order stopping or suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement, or (ii) any suspension of the qualification (or exemption from qualification) of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, at the earliest practicable moment.
(f) Furnish to each Holder, without charge, at least one conformed copy of each such Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, including financial statements and schedules, all documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference to the extent requested by such Person, and all exhibits to the extent requested by such Person (including those previously furnished or incorporated by reference) promptly after the filing of such documents with the Commission; provided, that any such item which is available on the XXXXX system (or successor thereto) need not be furnished. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Company hereby consents to the use of such Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto by each of the selling Holders in connection with the offering and sale of the Registrable Securities covered by such Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, except after the Company has given notice pursuant to Section 4(d).
(g) The Company shall cooperate with any broker-dealer through which a Holder proposes to resell its Registrable Securities in effecting a filing with the FINRA Corporate Financing Department pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110, as requested by any such Holder.
(h) Prior to any resale of Registrable Securities by a Holder, use its reasonable best efforts to register or qualify or cooperate with the selling Holders in connection with the registration or qualification (or exemption from the Registration or qualification) of such Registrable Securities for the resale by the Holder under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions within the United States as any Holder reasonably requests in writing, to keep each registration or qualification (or exemption therefrom) effective during the Effectiveness Period and to do any and all other acts or things reasonably necessary to enable the disposition in such jurisdictions of the Registrable Securities covered by each Registration Statement; provided, that, the Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not then so qualified, subject the Company to any material tax in any such jurisdiction where it is not then so subject or file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction.
(i) If requested by a Holder, cooperate with such Holder to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates representing Registrable Securities to be delivered to a transferee pursuant to a Registration Statement, which certificates shall be free, to the extent permitted by the Purchase Agreement, of all restrictive legends, and to enable such Registrable Securities to be in such denominations and registered in such names as any such Holder may request.
(j) Upon the occurrence of any event contemplated by clause (v) or (vi) of Section 4(d), as promptly as reasonably possible under the circumstances taking into account the Company’s good faith assessment of any adverse consequences to the Company and its stockholders of the premature disclosure of such event, prepare a supplement or amendment, including a post-effective amendment, to a Registration Statement or a supplement to the related Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference, and file any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered, neither a Registration Statement nor such Prospectus will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. If the Company notifies the Holders in accordance with clauses (iii) through (vi) of Section 4(d) above to suspend the use of any Prospectus until the requisite changes to such Prospectus have been made, then the Holders shall suspend use of such Prospectus. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to ensure that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed as promptly as is practicable.
(k) Comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission.
(l) The Company may require each selling Holder to furnish to the Company a certified statement as to the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such Holder and, if required by the Commission, the natural persons thereof that have voting and dispositive control over the shares. During any periods that the Company is unable to meet its obligations hereunder with respect to the registration of the Registrable Securities solely because any Holder fails to furnish such information within three Trading Days of the Company’s request, any liquidated damages that are accruing at such time shall be tolled and any Event that may otherwise occur solely because of such delay shall be suspended until such information is delivered to the Company.
Section 4. Obligations of the Holders.
(a) Each Holder agrees to furnish to the Company a completed questionnaire in the form attached to this Agreement as Appendix A (a “Selling Stockholder Questionnaire”) on a date that is not less than ten (10) days prior to the Filing Deadline or by the end of the fourth (4th) Trading Day following the date on which such Holder receives draft materials in accordance with Section 2(a). Each Holder shall furnish in writing to the Company such additional information regarding itself, the Registrable Securities held by it and the intended method of disposition of the Registrable Securities held by it, and shall execute such documents in connection with such registration, as shall be reasonably required to effect the registration of such Registrable Securities. A Holder shall provide such information to the Company at least two (2) Business Days prior to the first anticipated filing date of such Registration Statement if such Holder elects to have any of the Registrable Securities included in the Registration Statement. The Company shall not be required to include the Registrable Securities of a Holder in a Registration Statement, and no Event shall be deemed to occur and or continue solely as a result of the failure to include the Registrable Securities of such Holder in the Registration Statement, if such Holder fails to furnish to the Company a fully completed Selling Stockholder Questionnaire at least two (2) Business Days prior to the Filing Deadline.
(b) Each Holder agrees to cooperate with the Company as reasonably requested by the Company in connection with the preparation and filing of a Registration Statement hereunder, unless such Holder has notified the Company in writing of its election to exclude all of its Registrable Securities from such Registration Statement.
(c) Each Holder covenants and agrees that it will comply with the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act as applicable to it (unless an exemption therefrom is available) in connection with sales of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement.
(d) Each Holder agrees that, upon receipt of any notice from the Company of either: (i) the commencement of an Allowed Delay, or (ii) the happening of an event pursuant to Section 4(d)(iii) – (vi) hereof, such Holder will immediately discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement covering such Registrable Securities, until it is advised in writing (the “Advice”) by the Company that the use of the applicable Prospectus (as it may have been supplemented or amended) may be resumed. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to ensure that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed as promptly as is practicable.
(e) The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section are in addition to any liability that the Indemnifying Parties may have to the Indemnified Parties.
(f) [Intentionally Omitted]
(o) Independent Nature of Holders’ Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Holder hereunder are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Holder hereunder, and no Holder shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Holder hereunder. Nothing contained herein or in any other agreement or document delivered at any closing, and no action taken by any Holder pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Holders as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of group or entity, or create a presumption that the Holders are in any way acting in concert or as a group or entity with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any other matters, and the Company acknowledges that the Holders are not acting in concert or as a group, and the Company shall not assert any such claim, with respect to such obligations or transactions. Each Holder shall be entitled to protect and enforce its rights, including without limitation the rights arising out of this Agreement, and it shall not be necessary for any other Holder to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose. The use of a single agreement with respect to the obligations of the Company contained was solely in the control of the Company, not the action or decision of any Holder, and was done solely for the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so by any Holder. It is expressly understood and agreed that each provision contained in this Agreement is between the Company and a Holder, solely, and not between the Company and the Holders collectively and not between and among Holders.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Registration Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
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